COCONUTS HOT SPOT — Run by two true-blue Italians, Portofino occupies a corner lot in the quieter side of Bangsar – Lucky Garden. Italian Chef Keli rules the kitchen while Luca ensures the front of house runs smoothly.
Both Keli and Luca love living in the tropics and they have been very happy doing this since setting up Portofino almost two years ago.
It’s hard to miss Portofina – just look out for the huge letterings emblazoning its name on the building. It is both welcoming as a family restaurant as well as a hip place to chill out as the bar is pretty well stocked.
The restaurant occupies two floors – the upper level is very spacious and perfect for private functions with a capacity for 80 diners there.
We had a rustic Italian starter – Bruschetta al Salmone to kickstart our dinner. Slices of Norwegian smoked salmon curling enticingly on homemade bread make a good appetizer any day.
In Portofino, all pasta (except for penne which requires a machine to churn out) are made fresh in the restaurant. The fresh pastas, made from special imported flour, have a soft bouncy texture that’s deliciously yielding to the bite.
Dishes in Portofino have that extra deliciousness thanks to the specially concocted fish stock used. Chef Keli made this by boiling prawn heads and red snapper for hours with vegetables like carrots, tomatoes and celery.
A must-try item here is their house special, Spaghetti Portofino – house-made spaghetti saute’ed with prawns, squids, mussels, clams, scallops seasoned with garlic, chilli, basil, olive oil and simmered with house-made fish stock.
Spaghetti Portofino
The local seafood used here may be small in size but are very fresh as they are bought at the local wet market every other day.
Similarly, the Seafood Ravioli is another must-order dish. We totally enjoyed the house-made ravioli filled with fresh lobster meat and fish served in a rich lobster bisque. There’s so much umami sweetness in this dish that we almost wanted to order a second helping.
Seafood Ravioli
We took the pasta party further with Chef Keli’s Tagliatelle Bolognese Sauce with minced beef. It’s hearty comforting food for sure – a plate of this will make the world right in many ways!
Tagliatelle Bolognese Sauce
From pastas, we moved on to sample Chef Keli’s handmade pizzas. Spotting calzone on the menu, we had to have the Half Moon Calzone Pizza. A huge puffy calzone made its way to our table and when it’s sliced, hot creamy cheesy tomato sauce, turkey ham and mushrooms spilled out tangled with stringy mozzarella. It was something that had to be devoured immediately.
Half Moon Calzone Pizza
Pizza Boscaiola topped with tomatoes, black olives, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, rocket salad, parmigiano reggiano and mozzarella is full of wholesome rustic tastiness. This is one pizza you can have at any time of the day and it would be satisfying no matter what.
Pizza Boscaiola
If you love meat, especially lamb, try the Roasted Lamb – marinated with fresh herbs, slow-roasted, served with olives and mashed potato. The thick hearty sauce gave it a warm homely feel – it felt and tasted like a traditional family dish.
Roasted Lamb
Although not an Italian dessert by origin, Portofino’s Chocolate Salami – made with biscuits, cocoa powder and served with Ingles cream is immensely popular.
Chocolate Salami
Painstakingly executed, this photogenic dessert was very good and addictive.
Portofino is a good venue to head to if you are looking for some authentic home-style Italian fares. In a saturated frenetic dining scene like Bangsar, this place is a refreshing change from the madness of the central commercial areas.
PORTOFINO
Ristorente Italiano
No.1 Persiaran Ara Kiri
Lucky Garden
59100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2094-8490
Operating hours:
11am to 11pm daily
*Pork-free
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